ZenShiatsuStretches_15Min2Health

7/27/2019 ZenShiatsuStretches_15Min2Health

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Z e n S h i a t s u S t r e t c h e s

Gall BladderLiver

LungsLarge Intestine

StomachSpleen

HeartSmall Intestine

BladderKidneys

PericardiumTriple Heater



A Word of Caution• This tutorial is for people who attended the Fifteen

Minutes to Health program, level I• Please do not attempt to perform these stretches if

you have not participated in this class or a formaltraining of the Zen Shiatsu Meridian Stretches

• Always stay within your comfort zone, do not pushyourself. Even if you cannot assume a posture you willget all the benefits of each stretch, from applying theso-called Invisible Stretching principle (as practiced inclass)

• Enjoy this wonderful routine.• Thank you !





Liver - Gall Bladder stretch

• Open your feet wide, keeping them

parallel• Breathe out and lean to your left side,sliding your left hand along the side of yourleg• Simultaneously, rise the right arm up, palmtowards the ceiling• Settle in a comfortable position• Breathe out and relax• Breathe in and extend your right handfurther up and away, doing an invisiblestretch• Breath out and relax, lowering the rightarm while coming back up and standstraight• Take a couple of relaxed breaths and startagain on the same side.• Then do two repetitions on the right side




Lungs – Large Intestine stretch

• Open your feet wide (but less than before),keeping them parallel• Breathe out and lean forward keeping yourlow back flat, while grabbing your thumbsbehind your back• Keep equal weight on the heels and balls of your feet, feel a gentle stretch of yourhamstring, back of knees, calves. Keep yourhead in line with your back, do not look up,and do not bring your chin to your chest: yourneck is aligned with your spine. Keep it easyfor your body• Breathe out and relax• Breathe in and squeeze your shoulder blades,raising your arms behind you• Breathe out, separate the thumbs, bend theknees and come back up.• Do a second repetition, reversing the grip of

your thumbs




Stomach – Spleen stretch

• Come to a wall (or a chair), standing besides it and

putting your left hand on it for balance• Grab your right foot with your right hand• If comfortable, push your right knee slightly downand back to feel a gentle stretch of the quads. Pressyour foot against your hand to enhance that stretcha little more•

Breathe out and relax• Breathe in, press the foot and the knee down a littlemore, make yourself tall like stretching your torsoand top of head upwards.• Breathe out and release your foot, standing by thewall• Repeat a second time• Then turn to the other side, supporting yourself onthe wall with your right hand, and grab your leftfoot.• Repeat the stretch on the left side twice






Bladder – Kidneys stretch

•

Sit with your legs in front of you (remove pillow orblanket from under your sitting bone), with yourtorso straight. If you can’t sit straight, simply bendyour knees a little bit• Breathe in, make yourself tall, circle your arms upabove your head•

Breathe out, move forward, reaching your knees,shins, ankles or toes with your hands. It does notmatter at all if you cannot reach your toes, as long asyou keep your low back straight and do not collapseyour chest. It is totally OK to bend your knees a little• Breathe out and relax• Breathe in and exert a very gentle pull forward foran invisible stretch• Breathe out and come back up.• Repeat the stretch a second time




Heart Protector – Triple Heater stretch• Sit cross legged with your torso straight. Rightleg closer to your body. If you chest or low backtends to collapse, place a pillow or a folded

blanket under your sitting bone, finding theelevation that will allow your back to be straight• Imagine a big exercise ball in front of you andyou are going to lean forward, hugging the ball.• Breathe in and make yourself tall• Breathe out and lean forward slowly, forming a

circle with your arms, palms towards you• As you lean forward, progressively feel aninvisible stretch of your pecs, middle of biceps,middle line of forearm, middle of palm andmiddle finger (Heart Protector meridian)• Rest forward for a breath or two

• Come back slowly, leaving your arms and hand down, feeling theoutside of the middle finger, forearm, biceps, and shoulder bladesspreading apart. Breathe in and accentuate the shoulder blade spreadfeeling the entire Triple Heater meridian.• Breathe out and relax, sitting up straight again• Repeat the stretch a second time



Zen Shiatsu Stretches: more info



History


• Designed by the founder of Zen Shiatsu therapy: ShizutoMasunaga

• Masunaga had a special gift: he could feel the Qi of themeridians (like some people see more colors or hear

more sounds than most of us)• His sequence of six stretches position the limbs and

joints in a way that optimizes the flow of Qi in themeridians

•

The stretches taught in the 15 Minutes to Healthcurriculum have been adapted for people of all levels of flexibility and to increase the perception of Qi flowing inthe meridians, in particular using the Invisible Stretchmethod



Original Stretches


• In their original version

of the Zen Shiatsustretches, moststretches are moredemanding in term of flexibility, making itmore difficult to feel themeridians.• Originally, the firststretch is the Lungs –Large Intestine one. Theorder follow the so-called TCM Organ clock:see numbering on thepicture.• In this picture, thecorrespondence of theOrgans with the FiveElements is shown

1

2

3

4

5

6



Qi Meridians: more info

Where they flow

Main function of their Internal Organ



What are Qi Meridians?

• Like rivers carry water to make land fertile, Qimeridians, according to the Chinese system of health, distribute the Qi energy of our InternalOrgans throughout the body and the mind.

• The energy of our Organs needs to be balancedfor good health

• Insufficient Qi in the Organs and meridians, orexcessive Qi result in dis-ease




• To be continued, come back soon!

ZenShiatsuStretches_15Min2Health

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